The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Recliner and latch mechanisms are conventionally used in seat assemblies to permit selective adjustment of a seatback relative to a seat bottom. One such latch mechanism is a round-recliner mechanism, which typically includes a guide plate fixed to a seat bottom, a ratchet plate attached to a seatback, and a locking mechanism disposed generally between the guide plate and the ratchet plate. The ratchet plate typically includes a plurality of teeth disposed around the circumference of the ratchet plate. The locking mechanism typically includes a plurality of complementary teeth that can be brought into and out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet plate to selectively prevent rotation of the ratchet plate relative to the guide plate and, thus, selectively prevent rotation of the seatback relative to the seat bottom.